Well guys, im a noob here as far as competitions go, but just cant resist this challenge. As soon as I read the details of the comptetion I suddenly had this vivid image in my mind of what I could do. Im a huge sci-fi fan anyway and I always have these strange ideas for things like this which I have wanted to bring into the visual world for a long time.

Im really going to but my back into this, and I have to say I havent been this excited about creating something in 3D for a long time!

Anyway, when I get hoe this evening im going to try and sketch down this image of mine and try to create a story from it. I think I already have some sort of title but I think I may need to come up with something a little more original as I think there will be alot of entries with similar titles. Its something along the lines of "life's last stand"

I'll post up more details later. Cant wait to get started!
Cheers,
Rob

brisck1

10 October 2004, 01:36 PM

Ok here is my inital story behind the image Im going to create.

Life's Last Stand/Thoromius: Destroyer of planets
For hundreds of thousands of years, unbeknown to us, human life has existed throughout the universe. Most humanoid life originated from a Centaurus Chain of galaxies containing many thousands of peaceful and highly advanced different colonies/races of life. Many describe this place as the 'Valhalla' of the universe, as living in the most advanced societies has all but eliminated illness, crime and even mortality through advanced anti aging-life sustaining techniques.

No one here has ever had to ponder there own mortaility, and although stories of the afterlife still linger like smoke in the breeze, many have become to believe that they are the Gods of this universe with the power to give and take away life as they please and to shape the destiny of the universe at their own will.

But over the years a tension has risen as around the edge of the Centaurus Chain civilisations, planets and even stars have began to just dissapear. Soon rumours spread of people who witnessed the dissapearences describing a "unimagineable giagantic monstrosity capable of consuming entire planets at a time"

Many tried to remain skeptical in the early years as the thought of there own mortality was too much to bear, but soon the truth was undeniable.

All of the colonies in thi 'eden' are concetrated around one solar system within the Centaurus Chain nearst to a planet called Tropothia which is where the central core of there power and technology is held and produced using the unique and powerful minerals created by the planets atmosphere. Without this most of there technology would become useless.

In there own arrogance of delcaring there own god like status they failed to comprehend a threat as unbelievable as this, which is quickly devouring its way through the Centaurus Chain, and to there horror, it seems as though the object, now named as "Thoromius, Destroyer of planets" after one of there ancient gods, is heading straight for there lifeforce, Tropothia.

Many hundreds of colonies, cultures and civilisation have tried to fight off the all devouring machine on the outer Centaurus Chain but like the others have either been left in ruin or consumed along with their home planets.

One last grand meeting is organised consisting of the civilisations that remain throughout the Centaurus Chain and all argee that there efforts alone will not defeat the beast, and so, they agree to combine in there millions for one last final showdown is planned for what could be a new beginning or an end to humanoid life forever....

Feel free to crit! The image will be of the pinnacle of the showdown battle with the Planet destroyer and the Centaurus Chain Civilisation as it engages Tropothia

This sketch turned out very 'stingray-like', but I kind of like this. Its very organic looking, but will be composed of metal in the final render. Might make it look very old and damaged to emphasize the non-organic elements of it.

... and here are just a couple more sketches for the planet destroyer.

Im going to be picking one of these later tonight for refinement and finalising the design so that I can move on to the rest of the scene. So your input is greatly needed! Tell me which one you think works best.
Thanks

Subtle_Goat

10 October 2004, 11:29 AM

Hello and welcome to the competition.
Im very much liking your concept overall, it has a ncie ring and weight of story and icon to it, and if you can pull it off should be very spectacular. I cant wait to see your concept for the final image as a whole; if it is anything like your concepts for Thoromius i shall be very impressed.
At any rate good luck with competition.
-s

brisck1

10 October 2004, 02:50 PM

Hmmm, not getting a lot of feedback here http://www.cgtalk.com/images/icons/icon9.gif:( ah well I'll just make an educated guess. At the moment im torn between the "pincer 1 & 2" designs and the stingray/squid style designs

PreatORiAn

10 October 2004, 03:01 PM

love the style, you're going into an entirely diffrent direction than the most others (mechanical machines on organical-based?), giving you quite an edge on origonality (however you spell it :P).
keep it up :thumbsup:

Btw don't feel down because you're not getting any feedback, it won't help you win the prize any more or less :p

EngineeredVision

10 October 2004, 03:22 PM

I think all of your concepts have potential, but I definetely think that the squid or stingray designs would provide the most dramatic imagery. Even if you chose something of the Cephalopod form you could still go either way regarding whether it's organic or synthetic. The only design that I simply didn't care for at all was the giant bulbous insect concept. Other than that I think you might have some winning concepts to work with.

Good Luck,

I really, really, really wish I could enter this contest but I'm busy working on a Mod and I don't want to back out on my friends. I hope they do a second version of this contest in the future.

brisck1

10 October 2004, 03:27 PM

Thanks PreatORiAn, I wanted some of the more organic designs to be actually machines made in an organic design, like how The stingray design uses those 'wings' on its rear to give itself propulsion and its tail for manouverability. http://www.cgtalk.com/images/icons/icon7.gif

Thanks EngineeredVision thats the type of feedback I need as im so torn right now!

Haamu

10 October 2004, 12:20 PM

It's an interesting idea but personally I think it's absolutely too massive. It would require dozens of planets to even build anything like this and it will be difficult to move that kind of thing around. Like even though it is many times the size of planet it will most likely crash into the planet and break apart (because of inertia). Anyway the squid design is maybe the best

Archetype

10 October 2004, 12:24 PM

Rofl

:)
why dont u make a bunny shaped plaet destroyer ?
atleast make it cuddely and fuzzy
that would be awesome :)

taavi

10 October 2004, 12:32 PM

Heehee, huge, planet -eating space bunny :)
I like the squid design most. If U have opportunity to get National Geographics 2004 june issue, U will find really crazy pics about deep-sea inhabitants. Most of them look like your planet destroyers :) If thematerials U use look more like supernovas or energy fields, it will look more believable.Metallic Bug 10x bigger than earth will destroy a planet just approaching it because of gravity. But the point is good :)
Good luck in contest!

brisck1

10 October 2004, 02:53 PM

Lol well now we're getting all scientific, im not sure if the bunny idea would work, plus they are strictly vegetarian!

Thanks for the comments anyway guys, im not too worried about the phsyics of this thing right now, just want to creat a jaw-dropping image :)

I'll be finalising the design over the weekend, and hopefully will be able to start work on the composition of main image.

pluMmet

10 October 2004, 06:01 PM

"The Bunny Destroyer, Run Away..Run Away!", lol

But I like concept 2. The Fly style eyes of it. I can imagine lots of different textures on it.

electroglyph

10 October 2004, 07:28 PM

If we build a giant metal bunny rabbit and leave it in orbit then they will bring it inside the defense grid. When night falls Sir Hector, Sir Robin and I will sneak out of the bunny and turn off the lasers.

electroglyph

10 October 2004, 03:40 AM

Seriously though, I like the stingray version the best. Bugs might be a little too close to LEXX for the competition rules however.

Foot

10 October 2004, 03:51 AM

I think the sphere ship with the pincers is the most interesting.

brisck1

11 November 2004, 01:26 PM

Well just to update, I have some image compostion work ready for submission soon and im just waiting to find out why I cant submit anything from my home computer. All I get is an error right now :(

Sorry there hasnt been many updates lately as Im still working hard on visualising the 'Planet Destroyer'. This image shows a very early 'roughed-out' model of the planet destroyer to show overall scale in the scene, and as you can see its pretty damn huge.

So before I go on any further with the design of the 'destroyer I've been experimenting with the image composition of my piece. This is mainly to show if
1.)I can fit in the main focus of the scene: The planet destroyer and destruction of planet and 2.)the battle to destroy the thing before it begins consuming there world.

This image shows the overall shape of the Planet Destroyer which may need changing in time to fit better in the scene.

Here is one idea I had to cram more detail into the picture. Here the planet is in the foreground and we would be able to see the effects of the Planet destroyer is having on the planet's surface while 'tracktoring' the planet into its jaws.

Also I feel it gives off a good sense of scale although the planet destroyer fills most of the scene which doesn't allow for much of a space environment to be shown.

It would allow for more detail to be seen of the battle going on around the planet destroyer though.

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